University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center Bird Control Seminars Proceedings for November 1976 TESTS OF BIRD DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES IN SUDAN, 1975 Lee R. Martin FAO Regional Project, Sudan Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmbirdcontrol Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons Martin, Lee R., "TESTS OF BIRD DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES IN SUDAN, 1975" (1976). Bird Control Seminars Proceedings. 82. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmbirdcontrol/82 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Bird Control Seminars Proceedings by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 259 TESTS OF BIRD DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES IN SUDAN, 1975 Lee R . Martin 1 FAO Regional Project Sudan The Red -billed Quelea (Quelga quelaa ), because of its widespread destruction of grain crops throughout its range in Africa , is one of the most studied and written about granivorous bird species . Less publicized are more local bird pests in Africa which may be equally Important . The Village Weaver , (Ploceus cucullatus ), for example , is a pest in many countries , while some other Ploecids with limited destr uctive habits create local problems . Significant crop losses also occur where there are large populations of Golden Sparrows ( Passer luteus ), House Sparrows ( Passer domesticus ), Red Bishops (Euplectes oryx) , Doves (Streptopelia spp .), Glossy Starlings (Lam protornis chalybaeus ), Parakeets (Psittacula spp .), and some waterfowl (Mackworth -Praed and Grant , 1952; Pans Manual No . 3 , 1974; Park , 1974) . Crop losses from local bird pests were reported in early February 1975 to the Sudan Plant Protection Bird Contro l Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture . A mechanized farm scheme in Khartoum North had large concentrations of Red Bishops roosting in maize and feeding on an early -maturing wheat variety (Mexicana) . Small flocks of Golden Sparrows and House Sparrows also w ere present . Bird damage was clearly visible , especially at the corners and along the edges of the ripening wheatfields . Ground spraying with Queletox (60% a .1. Fenthion) on roosts of the Golden and House Sparrows was conducted along hedge rows of acacia (Acacia mellifera ) located at the north end of the farm . Although the spray killed large numbers of roosting birds , damage con - tinued as the wheat matured . Pilot field trials were thus organized to test the effective - ness of other crop protection techniq ues . Because birds fed throughout many blocks of wheat which matured at different periods , it was felt that several different experiments could be conducted without Interfering with each other . The control techniques Included an acoustical repellent , a che mical repellent , a chemical frightening agent , and a trap . The experiments , conducted from February 7 through February 23 , 1975 , were not designed as an integrated control operation . MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Site Kfouri's farm , where testing was done , borders the Blue Nile River and a large in - dustrial site . The farm consists of a dairy on the north side of the Nile , and an irrigat - ed crop scheme of maize , wheat , and lucerne adjacent to the industrial area north of the dairy (F ig. 1) . Two varieties o f wheat were grown: 87 .75 ha of Giza 155 and 228 .48 ha of early -maturing Mexicana . The lucerne and maize were utilized for the dairy operation; the wheat was grown for human consumption with a small portion held for seed . Bird Numbers and Movement Pattern After leaving their roost each morning , the Red Bishop population (10 ,000 -15 ,000 birds) normally splits Into 3 -4 feeding flocks , while the Golden Sparrow and House Sparrow popula - tions segregated into about 15 feeding flocks (100 -200 birds per flock) . Th e flocks fed on the early -maturing Mexicana wheat located between two canals - Halenko and Wad Gas (F ig. 1) . Acoustical Repellent The Av -Alarm sound system has been used to repel fruit -eating birds in North America (Brown 1974 , Mendal 1974 , Palmer 1970) . Little work , however , has been done with Av -Alarm to protect cereal crop schemes . The Av -Alarm can produce many different sound combinations . To determine those sounds most likely to repel birds , one TAV generator and three speakers were mounted on the fr ont of a Land Rover for use as a mobile unit . This enabled quick movement to different feed - ing flocks of pest birds upon which a wide range of sounds could be tried . When a certain sound appeared effective , individual feeding flocks were followed to dete rmine its repeat - ability as a repellent stimulus . 1Current affiliation: California Department of Food & Agriculture , Fresno 260 Two Av -Alarm ST series TAV -100A generator units and six 30 -ohm speakers were used in the field trial . The units were p laced alongside a road (Fig . 1) facing east into field 8/9 Wad Gas (Mexicana variety) from January 9 - February 24 . Units were installed on 3 - meter -high steel platforms placed 75 meters apart and 175 meters from each end of the 425 x 150 meter trial site . Each unit was fitted with three speakers and timed to operate alternately . After four days of testing six different “sounds ,” two were selected and used for the duration of the trial (Table 1) . Each unit was adjusted to produce one of the two “sounds .” Sp eaker height from ground level , speaker distance from the generator , and speaker direction were varied during the next six days to determine optimum place - ment . Chemical Repellent Methiocarb [3 ,5 dimethy] -4-(methylthio) phenol methylcarbamate] , trade nam e Mesurol R, has been used as an experimental bird repellent on several crops (DeGrazio , 1972; Guarino , 1972; Crase and DeHaven , 1976) . In late 1974 , small trials undertaken in the Sudan with methiocarb sprayed on wheat , barley , and sorghum showed promise w ith repeated treatments , but the need for a good spreading/sticking agent to enhance coverage and chemical reten - tion was Indicated (Martin & Jackson , 1976) . Two separate methiocarb trials were conducted for this experiment . In the first , two ha of Mexic ana wheat (site 1) were treated with 6 .0 kg active ingredient (a .i.) methiocarb in 292 1 of water per ha with 0 .03% AGRAL 90 (ICI)wetter and spreading agent . Half of this plot was sprayed using motorized backpack sprayers; the other half , with a Unimog - mo unted 608 1 capacity Holden UG -8 sprayer equipped with 100 m of high pressure hose . The weather during application was clear and hot but with gusty winds . The wheat was treated during the early milk stage just as bird damage started . An adjacent 2 ha plot of Mexicana wheat was used as an untreated control . Treated and control plots were separated by a 3 -meter -wide access path . The second site consisted of .82 ha of Giza wheat that was sprayed with the Unimog - mounted sprayer using the same formulation as a t site 1 . Two .82 ha untreated plots were located adjacent (one on each of two sides) to the treated plot . Chemical Frightenlng Agent Avitrol (4 -aminopyridine) is a chemical frightening agent that produces a “series of flock alarm reactions in those birds ingesting a sufficient quantity ” (Avitrol Corporation 1973) . In some cases the pest birds will not return to the feeding site for 3 -6 weeks or longer , but repeated baitings are often required . After bait preference trials at Kfouri's using wheat , millet , and sorghum offered to Red Bishops , Golden Sparrows , and House Sparrows for 3 days , millet seed appeared preferred and was treated with 1 .0% (a .i.) Avitrol using 1 .0% milk as a sticker . Treated seed was mixed in four different ratios with untreated seed ( 1 part treated to 200 , 100 , 50 , and 25 parts untreated , respectively) , and one ratio was set at each of four bait sites located in areas where birds regularly fed during early morning hours . Millet seed (0 .5 kg) was spread evenly on the ground (Fig . 1) . Al so , two V -shaped wooden troughs (1m x 12cm x 2cm) , described by Palmer (1970) , were baited with 0 .5 kg of millet seed and placed in a bushy acacia , located on the south -west edge of the Halenko Canal . Little of the bait was eaten the first morning after ba iting , but on the second morning about 70% (345 g) of the bait was taken; nearly complete acceptance was noted on the third morning . Trapping A modified Australian crow (MAC) trap (Palmer , 1970) was placed in the morning flight path of a 3 -6 thousand bird feeding flock of Red Bishops at the south end of Wad Gas field number 9 for 18 days . Groups of 100 -200 Golden Sparrows also were feeding in the nearby areas . Ten Golden Sparrows and Red Bishops were placed in the trap as decoys; acacia branches were place d on top of the trap for perch sites . Water and millet seed were provided in the trap and on the ground around it . After 18 days , the trap was moved to a site used mainly by House Sparrows . Damage Assessment An unpublished report of the damage assessment technique and results was written by R. G . Allan (1976) . Random samples of 100 grain heads were scored at predetermined locations within each test plot . Visual estimates of percent damage were made by compar - ing sample heads with a photographic standard . 261 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Acoustlcal Repel lent Damage assessment In the Av -Alarm plot indicated about a 15% loss in field number 8 compared to a 5% loss in field number 9 (Fig . 2) . Although damage was evenly distribut - ed throughout both plots (Fig .